Donald Trump has been acting independently, like a dictator, actually. Watchdog group Democracy Forward obtained emails through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, which was reported by BuzzFeed News, proved this. It looks as if POTUS went rogue on his Pentagon.
The emails indicated that the man sitting in the Oval Office threatened the president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. The threat came after the Syrian president used chemical weapons on his own people.
Yet, BuzzFeed reported that five Pentagon officials said they had “no idea” what was behind Trump’s impromptu statement. It was not the first time Trump bypassed the Pentagon, and it certainly was not the last.
Pentagon spokesperson, Navy Captain Jeff Davis sent reporters an email that read:
‘I have nothing.’
Yet, in another email to press officers, he wrote:
‘I suppose we send queries back to the White House.’
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ spokesperson, Dana White, sent an email to a reporter at the conservative website, Breitbart. BuzzFeed reported that it read:
‘DOD knew about the White House statement and provided edits in advance of its release. Anonymous leaks to the contrary are false or misinformed.’
According to BuzzFeed, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told the press:
‘The military chain of command was also fully aware of the statement as it was being prepared and later released.’
Democracy Forward Director Anne Harkavy told BuzzFeed that the White House appeared to be lying about “leaks:”
‘These new documents reveal what the administration has actively denied all along: the White House failed to consult military officials before issuing a statement on a potential Syrian chemical attack last year. Worse yet, administration officials lied when questioned by reporters. How can we trust an administration that lies about the potential use of chemical weapons?’
Featured image is a screenshot via YouTube.
